168

Ian’s POV

I was sitting at the edge of the bed, watching as Sophia absentmindedly rubbed her belly. It was clear that her mind was very far away from here. I knew that she had been worrying more these days and I didn’t blame her—everything had been heavy on both of us. And as much as I wanted to avoid the conversation, I knew we still had to talk about it.

I got up from the bed, rubbing my face as I took a step.

“Hey,” I said softly, moving to sit beside her, the bed dipping slightly under my weight. “You’ve been quiet all night.”

She sighed, her hand still resting on her stomach as she looked at me and forced a smile. “There’s just… so much on my mind. I can’t stop thinking about everything. The council, the baby, the werewolves…my family too. It’s like we are always in danger and there’s so much to loose.”

I nodded, reaching out to take her hand. Her fingers were cold. “I know. I’ve been thinking about it too. The council… they’re not exactly thrilled, but I think they’re coming around. Slowly.”

“They have to come around,” she muttered, looking down at her growing belly. “I’m carrying your child, their future king or queen. They don’t have a choice.”

“That’s true, but they’re still the council. They’ve been ruling for centuries, even before I took the throne. They don’t take kindly to change, especially when it comes to someone like you.”

Sophia frowned, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Someone like me?”

“Human,” I said gently. “Or at least, you were human. They’ve always had their biases, and even now, they still struggle with the idea of me being with someone who wasn’t born a vampire.”

She shook her head, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “It’s ridiculous. They act like I’m some kind of outsider. I’m carrying their future leader, for God’s sake. What more do they want from me?”

I squeezed her hand, trying to calm her. “They’re old-fashioned, and sometimes that can be a problem. But I think, eventually, they’ll accept you. They have to. And when they do, you’ll be treated like the queen you are.”

Sophia let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “Queen of a realm that’s falling apart.”

I winced at the truth in her words. The vampire realm was still recovering from the recent attacks, and even though we’d made progress in rebuilding, the sense of danger hadn’t gone away. “We’re rebuilding,” I said quietly. “But you’re right. It’s not over yet. There are still dangers out there, and I won’t lie to you, I don’t know where the next threat is coming from.”

“Do you really think it’s the werewolves?” she asked, her voice hesitant.

I exhaled slowly, trying to gather my thoughts. “It’s possible. We’ve always had a… strained relationship with the werewolves. But something feels off about this. We haven’t had any direct attacks from them yet, just whispers, rumors. If they were involved, I’d expect them to be more direct.”

Sophia looked at me, her eyes searching mine for answers I didn’t have. “So if it’s not the werewolves, then who? Aldric’s dead, but the attacks haven’t stopped.”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, hating how powerless I felt. I wanted to tell her about Mike but I wasn’t so sure yet. “There are factions, old enemies of the crown who could be behind this. Vampires who don’t like the direction I’m taking the realm. But none of it makes sense.”

Sophia bit her lip, her fingers tightening around mine. “I’m scared, Ian. I’m scared for us, for the baby. How are we supposed to bring a child into a world where we’re constantly looking over our shoulders?”

Her words hit me hard. I could see the fear etched into every line of her face. I wanted to tell her everything would be fine, that we’d make it through this, but the truth was, I didn’t know if that was possible. There were too many variables, too many enemies lurking in the shadows.

“We’ll protect our child,” I said firmly, convincing myself. “No matter what, we’ll keep them safe.”

Sophia nodded, but I could tell she wasn’t fully convinced. “What about us? What if something happens to you? Or me? We’re not invincible, Ian. We’re not untouchable.”

I turned to face her, lifting her chin so she’d look me in the eyes. “Nothing is going to happen to you. I won’t let it. And as for me… I’ve survived worse. I’ve been alive for over a century, Sophia. I’m not going anywhere.”

Her eyes glistened, and she leaned into me, resting her head on my shoulder. “I want to believe that. But it’s hard, knowing everything we’ve been through.”

I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her closer. “I know. But we’ve made it this far. We’ll get through this too.”

We sat in silence, her head resting on my chest while I kept staring down at her, patting her hair. I wondered if I could have ever had this kind of relationship with Freya, but the truth was I couldn’t. I never felt everything for Freya. With Freya, I was a vampire. With Sophia, I was human.

“I’ve been thinking,” Sophia said after a while, her voice soft. “About the council.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What about them?”

“They’re not going to stop pushing us, are they? I mean, they’ve already made it clear they want us to get married as soon as possible. They won’t be satisfied until we’re officially bound by their traditions.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “No, they won’t. The council thrives on control, and they see our marriage as a way to solidify their power. But this isn’t just about them, Sophia. It’s about us too.”

She nodded, though I could tell the thought still unsettled her. “I want to marry you, Ian. I do. But I hate feeling like we’re being pressured into it by them.”

“I hate it too,” I admitted. “But I don’t want you to feel like you’re being forced into anything. If you’re not ready—”

“I am ready,” she interrupted, her voice firm. “I just don’t want them to control us, to dictate how we live our lives.”

“They won’t,” I promised. “We’ll do things on our terms, not theirs. If they try to interfere, they’ll have to answer to me.”

Sophia smiled faintly, leaning up to kiss me softly. “I trust you.”

I kissed her back, resting my forehead against hers. “We’ll figure this out, together. No matter what happens.”

“Ian,” Sophia said quietly, her voice barely a whisper. “Do you think our baby will be safe? I mean, really safe? Not just from the council or the werewolves, but from everything?”

I hesitated, knowing the answer wasn’t simple. “We’ll do everything in our power to keep them safe. But there are no guarantees. Not in our world.”

She closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek. “I just want them to have a normal life. To be able to grow up without all this danger, without all these… enemies.”

“I know,” I said softly. “And we’ll give them the best life we can. But they’re not going to be normal, Sophia. They’ll be part of both worlds—yours and mine. And that means they’ll always be a target.”

She nodded, her grip tightening around me. “Then we’ll just have to be strong enough to protect them.”

“We will be,” I promised.

And I held onto that promise with everything I had. Because no matter what, Sophia and our child would always be my priority. Even if it meant going against the council, against the werewolves, or anyone else who dared to threaten them.